White Sox 5, Red Sox 1: Taking Two From Beantown

We’re back in Boston for the nightcap of today’s doubleheader (a makeup from Friday’s snow out). Michael Kopech is back on the mound as a starter, and Nick Madrigal is leading off. Why not!

Kopech came into the start with 13 strikeouts in 7 ²⁄₃ innings out of the bullpen this year. His first inning ended up being a nice 1-2-3 affair with the old fashioned trifecta of strikeout (Kiké Hernández), ground out (J.D. Martínez), and force out. Through the whole outing Kopech looked very comfortable and his pitches hit all their marks; it’s a real testament to Kopech’s talent that he’s been gone so long and still able to show amazing control. His velocity isn’t toping out at where it used to be, but that will come back; the control and composure of pitches is looking fantastic.

Yermín Mercedes committed the rite of passage for every slugger: Hitting a home run in Fenway. It was to straightaway center, and bounced off the side of the Green Monster — all-in-all it was nice to see some easy power from him in the fourth.

Some defensive errors dinged the Red Sox, and by the end of the fourth inning, the White Sox found themselves with a snappy 4-0 lead.

Kopech came out in the bottom of the fourth after 41 pitches, only giving up a hit and walking one, and in came Matt Foster. Foster gave up a hit to Martínez, allowing the Red Sox to finally crack the day’s scoring drought with one run when Kiké Hernández, who was walked at the start of the inning, scored from that Martínez hit. Xander Boegarts managed to give everyone anxiety by looking like he was about to clear the bases, but his clout fell just short of the wall and into Luis Robert’s glove. Foster managed to get out of the inning after giving up the one run, which was a great relief to White Sox fans everywhere. Honestly I’m ready for Foster’s ERA to drop below 21.00 at any point ...

Since we saw Bummer in the first game, TLR saw fit to use Crochet for an out and Marshall to get to the seventh. They managed to keep the Red Sox frozen at one run, and really that’s the most we can ask out of a bullpen. Liam Hendriks made a second appearance of the day, closing out a second win very quickly. Notably this was the first time the White Sox have taken a doubleheader vs. the Red Sox since 2010 (similarly, Bobby Jenks finished, and earned saves, for both games back then).

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and we’ll see you all bright and early at 10:10 tomorrow morning!

Random Things That Mean Nothing

• Austin Brice is the first-ever MLB player born in Hong Kong
• “Kids eat free when the Red Sox win” according to advertising behind home plate. No determination made as to where exactly that is, or what.
• Christian Vázquez, despite being a top-tier catcher, managed to throw into the stands when trying to pick off Danny Mendick.
• Of the longest home runs this season for the White Sox, Yermín occupies five of the top six spots.
• Steve Stone’s lifetime ERA at Fenway Park is 6.18. Block me, Stone Pony.
• Some Red Sox fan thought the top of the seventh was a good time to chant José Abreu’s batting average at him, as if Boston wasn’t losing, 5-1.
• Today is Evan “Forgetting Sarah” Marshall’s birthday, and the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall premiered on this day in 2007.
• Somehow Tim Anderson ended up with ice cream in the dugout.